Chrome 10 Browser Now Available

[amirm]

HI amirn,
I'm not sure why you thought I was speaking generally about browsers. In my first post in this thread I said I had converted to Firefox. That was the context for my comments.

Hi Sparky. I answered this question: "Now for my question. When you all talk about speed, what exactly are you referring to?"

You didn't ask me to tell you which browser is best in general and specifically about security. You asked why we care about performance and I gave examples of comparing Chrome to IE. Have you tried Chrome 10? Download it and see if it makes a difference you can see. Time how long it takes to start each for example.

I read the Tom's link you provided along with the numerous comments. Interesting. But, in truth, benchmarks do me little good taken alone. And speed is not the only factor by which I would choose a program.

But it was the topic I thought you wanted to discuss. If you wanted me to argue with browser is best for the world, I would have respectfully declined . That said, for home users, I can't recommend Chrome highly enough. I usually don't hold Google software to high regard but this incarnation of Chrome is very well done.

For example, at work we have a large group of experts that evaluate software constantly. They too have a specific goal for their evaluations. And it's not speed. It's security. By their evaluations, Firefox is the most secure browser out there. So, combining speed and security, Firefox seems the best answer.

Well, those are not the only factors for selection of browser. Many corporations go with IE because of their line of business application compatibility. They write those to be bug for bug compatible with IE and other browsers don't do quite as well. Others, can't stand IE because of frequent security breaches. Those do not necessarily occur because IE is much worse as far as software. They occur because IE is such a huge target due to larger footprint. I have not read that Firefox is the most secure browser. It might be in some people's opinion. Note that even if you have the most secure browser, if you run plug-ins such as flash and pdf readers, you are at the mercy of those plug-ins as to how secure your overall environment is.

Back to your priorities, the #1 reason people use a browser is because that is what they have used all along! That is why IE still has a strong market share. People can't kick the old habits and familiarity with how to use a piece of software counts for a lot.

The benchmarks you linked me to did not address the security issue at all, which I find amazing.

It shouldn't have been a surprise. You asked me a performance question. And I provided an article that does the most authoritative work on performance (although vast majority of their work is in hardware). If you had asked me a more generic question, I would have pointed you to a ton of other benchmarks that cover all the bases (although not as deeply). You can do your own search and read the articles on PC Mag, PC World, eWeek, etc. I think you will find that Chrome almost always wins the title of best overall browser.

For me, security might be the the most important quality a browser could have. Clearly, we are not discussing a single aspect of performance but, rather, performance priorities. For you, speed is primary. For me, security is first. So, is there a best answer? Yes, mine!! Speed becomes a moot issue if one is sitting there with a contaminated computer.

Where did I say my primary priority is speed? I use a combination of factors. #1 for me is reliability and compatibility. I don't care how fast the browser is if it shows the pages wrong or it crashes all the time. Next is usability. If I can't easily navigate around, I can't use it. I am a very heavy user of browser. At any one moment, I might have 2-3 browsers open each with 20 to 30 tabs! I work in them 95% of the time as I multi-task between different types of research and work. If the thing is not easy to use, I can't use it. I talked in another article for example how wonderful it is that I can close a tab accidently yet in Chrome, I can bring it back again. I can't do that in IE. Maybe firefox can do that but if it can't, it won't be a browser I will use because when you just closed a page that you found after 2-3 hours of research, you don't want to start over again. I like the very clean look of Chrome which others are copying. I like the ease with which I can move tabs around (just grab and move them or tear them off to make them their own browser).

Is it perfect? No. I still have not gotten used to its bookmarking feature and prefer IE. I am sure if I were a firefox user I would find other faults with it. But I am not. So I suggest that you download and play with it. It will take you less time to get a feel for it than reading these posts .

 

[Steve Williams]

I agree completely Amir

The ease of use of Chrome as well as reliability made it a no brainer for me..BTW, IE9 uses many of the features found in Chrome

 

[karma]

HI Guy's,
Well, OK, you all have brought up other things besides speed. I can appreciate that. What I don't appreciate is constantly learning new software. I have been working with computers since about 1967 complete with paper tape readers and Teletypes and programming in machine code and assembler. Working in software is a constant learning experience. And I'm tired of it. For me, finding a comfortable, functional place is good. But it's not always state of the art. I do accept that in a field as dynamic as computers and software, learning is simply not avoidable. But to jump into a new piece of software simply because it is new is not attractive. I have other ways to spend my time such as working on my very capable Jeep which I'm about to do as soon as I'm off the computer.

The last software I learned in detail was Photoshop CS4. I did it because the benefits were clear and other alternatives were not viable. Am I glad? Yes. Photoshop is an incredible tool. But honestly, I don't see the same benefits from browsers. I see them as a pair of pliers-sort of basic. Do I want to put the effort into Chrome? No, I don't. Don't see the benefit. And there are other good alternatives that I am comfortable with.

Life is too short.

BTW, are you and Steve Apple users?

Sparky

 

[mep]

Since when did switching browsers become brain surgery? I would hardly liken switching to a different browser as the equivalent to learning a complex software program. To me, using browsers is like riding a bike-if you can ride one of them you can ride all of them.

 

[amirm]

BTW, are you and Steve Apple users?

I am not. I used to be an executive at Microsoft, running a large division there. So if there is someone who would have wanted to stay with IE, it would have been me . But I saw a review of it, and as you, dismissed the performance advantage as not mattering. But thought i should try it just see and my jaw fell down. So I switched. But I hear you. It is a royal pain to change software you use all the time. As for Photoshop, no worse software has been written from usability point of view. So if you can master that, you can master anything .

BTW, I also used paper punch and teletype although was fortunate enough to come in at the tail end of that and didn't suffer more than a couple of years of that .

Steve is a diehard Mac user and worshipper of all things Steve Jobs. I have asked him to not self medicate and see a good psychiatrist to kick the ailment but he won't listen.

 

[karma]

HI amir,
Something else has come from this discussion. You seem to be what I would call a power user. You have described use cases with Chrome that I can't even imagine. So, like many things, the level of performance one appreciates is related to their needs. You have extreme needs. Mine? Well...simple.

I don't think I need what you appreciate so much in Chrome.

As for Steve, I wish the best for Steve Jobs and I hope Apple does not take too great of a hit by his departure. I don't like Apple's basic philosophy but I can't deny that their creativity has been good for the industry. iTunes must be sad or else it would behave properly. I am impressed with my first Apple product-the iPhone-also my first cell phone. But, even there Apple's traditional closed philosophy pervades. I just don't care as much.

Sparky

 

[Steve Williams]

Steve is a diehard Mac user and worshipper of all things Steve Jobs. I have asked him to not self medicate and see a good psychiatrist to kick the ailment but he won't listen.

I wouldn't say die hard. I became a Mac follower when I watched my youngest son do things on his Mac so much quicker than I could do on my PC.

I switched but use both. IMO OS 10 Lion with Chrome, Sparky is pretty damn good. Give it a look.

 

[FrantzM]

Hi

After all the raves about Chrome I moved to it ... There is no going back .. It is the real deal .. I don't know about the security issues when compared to Firefox. I must however say it is amazingly fast ... if only I could integrate Delicious
You were correct ..IMO the best browser I have seen yet...

 

[Steve Williams]

Congratulations Frantz on discovering with us just how great a browser Chrome is

 

[amirm]

Let there be no doubt that when we say this forum is about "what is best," we mean it!